LED accessory for vehicle and method of assembly

ABSTRACT

A lighted accessory for a motor vehicle includes a machined aluminum body. The body includes a front wall that has a plurality of openings through it and a cavity behind it. A plurality of lenses are potted in place within the openings. LED lights are installed on the aluminum body in alignment with the lenses. Additional potting compound is applied to cover the LEDs and substantially fill the cavity. A faulty LED board may be replaced by removing a portion of the potting compound and the faulty LED board, replacing the faulty LED board with an operable one, and refilling the removed portion of the potting compound with additional potting compound.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No.14/930,657, filed on Nov. 2, 2015, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§ 119 to provisional application Ser. No. 62/073,825 filed Oct. 31,2014, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to lighted accessories for motor vehicles.More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved LEDaccessory for a motor vehicle, and a method for assembling the improvedLED accessory.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lighted accessories for vehicles, such as cars and trucks, have becomepopular in recent years. This is especially true with respect toaftermarket products that permit a vehicle owner to personalize his orher vehicle. These lighted accessories may take the form of light barsthat include a single, or multiple rows of lights. The light bars may beinstalled at various locations to provide a decorative affect.Additionally, these lighted accessories may be used as replacements fororiginal equipment lighting, such as headlights, fog lights, taillights, and turn signals. Even more recently, it has become possible touse light emitting diodes (LEDs) within these lighted accessories.

To date, the LED lighted vehicle accessories have suffered from somecommon disadvantages. For example, the accessories have tended to berather bulky, especially in a front-to-back dimension, which can limitthe places where such accessories can be installed. For example,published United States patent application US 2014/0078762 A1 shows alight fixture with a curved frame. As can be seen in the drawings of US2014/0078762 A1, the overall depth of the product from front to back issignificant. Additionally, current LED lighted vehicle accessories havefaced durability issues, often times relating to water, dust, or othercontaminants fouling the electronics. Many of the devices emit a hummingor buzzing noise as a result of vibration within the device. The devicescan also be difficult or impossible to repair in case one or more of thecircuit boards goes bad.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved LED lighted vehicleaccessory.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighted vehicleaccessory that uses LEDs, and has a reduced depth from front to rear.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an LEDlighted vehicle accessory that has improved durability.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an LED lightedvehicle accessory that better protects the electronic components fromwater damage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an LED lightedvehicle accessory that can be repaired conveniently by replacing one ormore circuit boards.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improvedLED lighted vehicle accessory that emits little or no humming noise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment the present invention is directed to alighted accessory for a vehicle. The accessory includes an aluminum bodythat has a front wall and a cavity behind the front wall. The front wallhas a plurality of openings. A plurality of lenses are provided withinthe plurality of openings. A potting adhesive forms a water tight sealbetween the lenses and the front wall. A circuit board is providedwithin the cavity and includes a plurality of light emitting diodes inalignment with the plurality of lenses. A second layer of pottingadhesive covers the circuit board and substantially fills the cavity. Aback cover is secured to the body spaced apart from the front wall andcovering the second layer of potting adhesive. An attachment assembly issecured to the body. The attachment assembly is adapted to attach thebody to a vehicle. A wire harness is connected to the circuit board andadapted to attach to an electrical system of a vehicle. The aluminumbody may be formed from anodized aluminum.

According to another embodiment, the present invention is a method ofassembling a lighted vehicle accessory. A solid block of aluminum ismachined to form an accessory body having a front wall, a cavity behindthe front wall, an opening through the front wall, and a lens receptacleon a rear surface of the front wall surrounding the opening. A lens isplaced in the lens receptacle in alignment with the opening, and a firstlayer of potting compound is applied around the lens in the lensreceptacle to secure the lens in place and to form a watertight sealbetween the lens and the body. The first layer of potting compound isallowed to at least partially cure. A circuit board that includes alight emitting diode (LED) is secured to the rear surface of the frontwall with the LED in alignment with the lens. The cavity issubstantially filled with a second layer of potting compound tocompletely cover the circuit board within the cavity. The second layerof potting compound is allowed to at least partially cure. A rear coveris attached to the body to at least partially cover the at leastpartially cured second layer of potting compound.

According to another embodiment, the present invention is a method ofrepairing a lighted vehicle accessory that includes a plurality ofcircuit boards when one of the circuit boards is faulty. First, adetermination is made that that at least one of its LED lights isnon-functioning. A circuit board within the accessory that correspondswith the non-functioning LED light is identified. A cutting device isused to cut a portion of a layer of potting compound covering theidentified circuit board and the cut portion of the layer of pottingcompound is peeled away to expose the identified circuit board. Theidentified circuit board is replaced with a replacement circuit board.The replacement circuit board is covered with a new layer of pottingcompound. The rear cover is reattached to the accessory after allowingthe new layer of potting compound to at least partially cure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a motor vehicle with lighted vehicleaccessories attached according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a lighted vehicle accessory that includes two rows of threeLEDs according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a lighted vehicle accessory according to another embodimentof the present invention, wherein the accessory is an elongated LEDlight bar.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a machined aluminum body used in theelongated light bar of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the aluminum body of FIG. 4 with a lens potted into placewithin an opening of the front wall of the aluminum body.

FIG. 6 shows the assembly of FIG. 5 with a circuit board including anLED light mounted in place on the aluminum body.

FIG. 7 shows the assembly of FIG. 6 wherein the rear cavity of thealuminum body has been filled with potting adhesive.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the elongated light bar of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a process for assembling alighted-vehicle accessory according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method of assembling a lightedvehicle accessory according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a method of repairing a lighted vehicleaccessory that includes a plurality of circuit boards wherein one of thecircuit boards is faulty.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle 12 that includes several lightedaccessories 10. As can be seen, the lighted accessory 10 may take theform of an elongated bar mounted on the roof of the vehicle, anelongated bar mounted at vehicle grill, a light bar provided on thebumper, or as fog lights. Those skilled in the art will be aware ofnumerous possible locations and configurations for lighted vehicleaccessories. According to the present invention, the lighted accessory10 is an LED lighted accessory of improved construction. The lightedaccessories 10 may be connected to the vehicle's electrical system.Typically, a user will be able to control illumination of the lightedaccessories 10 through the existing lighting controls of the vehicle 12.

FIG. 2 shows an LED lighted accessory 10 according to one embodiment ofthe present invention. The lighted accessory 10 includes a rectangularbody 14. The front face 16 of the body 14 is visible in FIG. 2. Thefront face 16 of the body 14 includes a plurality of openings 18. In theembodiment of FIG. 2 there are six total openings 18 provided in tworows of three openings. Within each of the openings 18 a lens 20 ismounted, and through which light from a light source will shine. Theaccessory 10 also includes a wire harness 22 that is adapted to beconnected into the vehicle's electrical system to provide power to thelights. The lighted accessory 10 also includes mounting holes 24 toprovide for mounting the lighted accessory 10 to the vehicle 12.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a lighted accessory 110 according tothe present invention. The lighted accessory 110 of FIG. 3 is anelongated bar that includes a single row of lights. The lightedaccessory 110 of FIG. 3 also includes a body 114 preferably made fromaluminum. The body 114 includes a front face 116 including a row ofopenings 118. Each of the openings 118 is provided with a lens 120through which light from the LEDs shines. While not visible in FIG. 3,the lighted accessory 110 of FIG. 3 also includes a wire harness forconnection to the vehicle's electrical system. Each end of the lightedaccessory 110 of FIG. 3 includes mounting hardware 126, which is used tomount the light bar 110 to the vehicle, for example to mount the lightbar 110 to a vehicle grill.

FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the body 114 of the lightedaccessory 110 from FIG. 3. The body 114 is preferably made from a singlepiece of anodized aluminum that has been machined into a desiredconfiguration using a CNC machine. A cavity 136 is machined into thebody 114 to form the top and bottom walls 130, the front wall 128, andthe side walls 134. The body 114 includes a front wall 128 andrearwardly extending top and bottom walls 130. One of the openings 118through the front wall 128 is shown in FIG. 4. The overall thickness ofthe body 114 from the front face 116 to the back face of the walls 130is preferably no more than one and one-half inches, and may be as smallas three quarters of an inch. A recessed area is machined into the frontwall 128 to form a lens receptacle 132. The body 114 may be formed as agenerally straight flat prismatic shape, or may be curved to match acontour of the vehicle or space on the vehicle where it is intended tobe mounted.

FIG. 5 shows the lighted accessory body 114 of FIG. 4 at an early stageof the assembly process wherein a lens 138 has been inserted into thelens receptacle 132 in alignment with the opening 118. As shown in FIG.5, the opening 118 is machined at a right angle to the front face 116.This standard orientation for the opening 118 causes the lens 138 to beoriented normally with respect to the front face 116, and to generallydirect the light at a right angle to the front face 116. As analternative (not shown) the opening 118 may be machined at an obliqueangle relative to the front face 116 in order to direct the light in adirection other than simply a right angle from the face 116. A pottingadhesive 140 is applied around the periphery of the lens 138 within thelens receptacle 132 in order to secure the lens 138 in place, and toform a watertight seal to prevent any water or other contaminants fromentering the lighted accessory through the opening 118. The pottingadhesive 140 may be a high elongation epoxy that is self-leveling, forexample a potting compound sold under the trade name Tough Seal 21.Preferably the potting adhesive will be one that has strong adhesiveproperties with respect to aluminum.

After the potting adhesive 140 has been allowed to dry, a circuit board142 is installed on the body 114. The circuit board 142 includes a lightemitting diode (LED) 144 that is in alignment with the lens 138. Inpractice the circuit board 142 may include more than one LED inalignment with more than one lens 138. The circuit board 142 may besecured to the body 114 with mechanical fasteners 145, for examplethreaded screws. Preferably the circuit board 142 will include the LEDsas surface mount devices in a solid state design. Those of ordinaryskill in the art will be aware of numerous LED types that may beadvantageously incorporated into the present invention.

As seen in FIG. 7, after the circuit board 142 is installed a secondlayer of potting compound 146 is applied within the cavity 136 in orderto substantially fill the cavity 136. The layer of potting compound 146completely covers and protects the circuit board 142. The pottingcompound 146 completely protects the circuit board and lens from waterand dust. Additionally, the potting compound 146 provides support andcushioning that will damp vibrations which can cause humming, and willprotect the circuit board from impact stresses. The second layer ofpotting compound 146 may be the same or a different high elongationepoxy than is used in the potting adhesive 140 that secures the lens 138in place. For example, the second layer of potting compound 146 may be alonger working time potting compound sold under the brand name ToughSeal 22.

After the second layer of potting compound 146 is allowed to cure, arear cover 148 may be secured to the body 114 by applying mechanicalfasteners 150, which may be for example bolts or screws, to secure therear cover 148 to the side walls 134. Mounting hardware 126 (see FIG. 3)may then be attached to the body 114 such that the lighted accessory 110can be mounted to a vehicle.

The resulting lighted accessory 110 has significant advantages overexisting designs. For example, the accessory 110 is low profile suchthat the overall dimension between the front face 116 and the back plate148 may be no more than one and a half inches, and may be as little asthree fourths of an inch. The fully potted rear cavity assures that theaccessory 110 is well suited to withstand the rigors of outdoor use asit protects the circuit board 142 and LEDs 144 from water and frommechanical stresses. The potting compound 146 will absorb and damp thevibrations that can cause humming. The high density aluminum body 114acts as an efficient heat sink to maintain the circuit boards 142 andLEDs 144 within an acceptable temperature range. The circuit boards 142may include thermal control chips to regulate operation of the LEDs 144in order to extend the life of the components.

If one of the circuit boards 142 should fail, it is possible to repairthe lighted accessory 110. This can be accomplished by removing the backcover 148. The potting compound 146 that covers the non-functionalcircuit board 142 may be removed, for example by using a razor blade orother sharp instrument to slice out a portion of the potting compound146 directly above the faulty circuit board 142. With a portion of thepotting compound 146 removed, the circuit board 142 can be unscrewedfrom the body 114 and removed, and a new properly functioning circuitboard 142 may be installed in its place. Additional potting compound maythen be applied to fill in the gap within the potting compound 146 andagain completely seal the new circuit board 142. After the new portionof potting compound has been allowed to completely cure, the back cover148 may again be screwed into place, and the lighted accessory 110 maybe reinstalled on the vehicle.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a process for assembling alighted-vehicle accessory according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

The invention has been shown and described above with the preferredembodiments, and it is understood that many modifications,substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intendedspirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seenthat the present invention accomplishes at least all of its statedobjectives.

We claim:
 1. A method of assembling a lighted vehicle accessory, themethod comprising: providing an accessory body having a front wall, acavity behind the front wall, an opening through the front wall, and alens receptacle on a rear surface of the front wall surrounding theopening; placing a lens in the lens receptacle in alignment with theopening; applying a first layer of potting compound around the lens inthe lens receptacle to secure the lens in place and form a watertightseal between the lens and the body; allowing the first layer of pottingcompound to at least partially cure; securing a circuit board thatincludes a light emitting diode (LED) to the rear surface of the frontwall with the LED in alignment with the lens; substantially filling thecavity with a second layer of potting compound to completely cover thecircuit board within the cavity; configuring the second layer of pottingcompound to damp vibrations in the circuit board; allowing the secondlayer of potting compound to at least partially cure; and securing arear cover to the body to at least partially cover the at leastpartially cured second layer of potting compound.
 2. The method of claim1, further comprising machining a single piece of high density anodizedaluminum to form the accessory body.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe single piece of high density anodized aluminum is configured to actas a heat sink for the circuit board and LEDs.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein a CNC machine is used to machine the solid block of aluminum. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the LED is a surface mount device.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising securing attachment hardware tothe body, wherein the attachment hardware is adapted to connect to avehicle.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second layersof potting compound are high elongation epoxies.
 8. The method of claim1, wherein the second layer of potting compound is a longer working timepotting compound than the first layer of potting compound.
 9. The methodof claim 1, wherein the first layer of potting compound is appliedaround the periphery of the lens within the lens receptacle.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first layer of potting compound hasstrong adhesive properties with respect to aluminum.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising regulating operation of the LEDs withthermal control chips of the circuit board.
 12. The method of claim 1,wherein the opening is machined at a right angle to a front wall,causing the lens to be oriented normally with respect to the front wall.13. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance between the front walland the back cover may be no less than three fourths of an inch and nomore than one and a half inches.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein theopening is machined at an oblique angle relative to the front wall,causing light to be directed into the lens in a direction other than aright angle with respect to the front wall.
 15. A method of repairing alighted vehicle accessory that includes a plurality of circuit boardswherein one of the circuit boards is faulty, the method comprising:taking a lighted vehicle accessory and determining that at least one ofits LED lights is non-functioning; identifying a circuit board withinthe accessory that corresponds with at least one non-functioning LEDlight; removing a rear cover from the accessory; using a cutting deviceto cut a portion of a layer of potting compound covering the identifiedcircuit board; peeling away the cut portion of the layer of pottingcompound; removing the identified circuit board; replacing theidentified circuit board with a replacement circuit board; covering thereplacement circuit board with a new layer of potting compound; allowingthe new layer of potting compound to at least partially cure;reattaching the rear cover to the accessory after allowing the new layerof potting compound to at least partially cure.
 16. The method of claim15, further comprising: before performing the steps of claim 15,removing the accessory from a vehicle; and after performing the steps ofclaim 15, reconnecting the accessory to the vehicle.
 17. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the new layer of potting compound is a high elongationepoxy.
 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring thenew layer of potting compound to damp vibrations in the circuit board.